Chandrababu hinting at TDP-BJP alliance in future

“There are no permanent foes and friends in politics”, is a famous and most proved adage in Indian politics. Arch-rivals will become friends, and a best friend becomes the worst enemy in this game for power. This is the only rule to continue in politics for longer period.

Telugu Desam Party president N. Chandrababu Naidu, who is one of the senior-most politicians in India, is always ready to change. He used to tell his cadre and media that he is “a changed man” when he was in opposition for nine years. The latest buzz is that he has again become a changed person who wants to move towards his old friend, the BJP.

It is heard that Chandrababu has been ruing about his decision to leave the NDA government. He was speaking to his cadre in a closed-door meeting in Visakhapatnam during his recent visit. Naidu expressed regret and felt that it was a big mistake to come out of NDA fold before the 2019 elections. The remarks created a political stir in Telugu states.

The long love-hate story between BJP and the TDP started in the late 90s when the latter offered his support to the Atal Bihari Vajpayee-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) in 1998. It was continued in 1999 elections as well. The duo lost power in the state and Centre at once in 2004. Then, Chandrababu isolated BJP by terming it as a communal party.

After 10 years, Naidu has once again embraced BJP and won the 2014 assembly elections. The honeymoon continued for four years, and Naidu left the saffron party in 2018, claiming that the Centre was discriminating against the state. He tried to unite all opposition parties to defeat BJP in the 2019 elections.

However, the polls have become nightmarish to Chandrababu as his party could win only three Parliament seats and 23 assembly seats in Andhra Pradesh.

Looks like this is some sort of indication from TDP that it is open to accept BJP again and contest with the saffron party. Only time will tell what Chandrababu Naidu is upto.